SR71 Blackbird Blended Forward wing (chine)

SR71 Blackbird Blended Forward wing (chine) 

SR71 Blackbird Blended Forward wing (chine) 

Between the time the Blackbirds were publically announced in February, 1964 and their
debut in September of the same year, they acquired the overall Blackpaint scheme which
would ultimately cause them to be christened "Blackbird". (I have heard the assertion that
they are actually dark Blue, but like everything else about the Blackbird, the actual
specification is secret, and they certainly look Blacker than Black in person!) (USAF)

ty is less than 2% of sea level, necessitating larger control movements. Sitting fifty feet in
front of the center of gravity, the pilot will be the last one to know if his inputs are correct.
High performance is dependent upon an artificial Stability Augmentation System (SAS)
which relieves the pilot of the constant pressure of balancing a 2,000 MPH see-saw, The
Honeywell·designed SAS has proven to be one of the most reliable of the Blackbird's sub­
systems, recording a 130,000 hour MTBF rate!

Honeywell also developed the Air Data Computer. The Air Data Computer compensates
for the effects of high Mach number and gives accurate readings of altitude, vertical
speed, and Mach number on it's triple-display digital indicator. (Because of the low air
density at the Blackbird's operating altitude, the standard pressure instruments are
unreliable.)

With skin temperatures ranging from 450 to over 1200 degrees Fahrenheit at cruise
speeds, and the entire airframe soaking in these temperatures for extended periods of
time, it was necessary to develop new fuels, hydraulic fluids, oil, sealants, insulating
materials, and a whole host of related items. These temperatures immediately eliminated
most coventional airframe fabricating materials and techniques. They also eliminated all
but the toughest of titanium alloys. Over 93% of the basic structure of the Blackbird is
titanium. At Mach 3 the skin reaches maximum temperature within 11 minutes, while the
balance of the aircraft may take up to 35 minutes to reach steady state temps. Cooling is
accomplished through radiation, which is the reason that Blackbirds are Black. The high
emmisivity paint applied to Blackbirds radiates heat at almost three times the rate of
natural metal. The JP-7 fuel provides a measure of cooling, though as the fuel load is burn-